Mr. Symms has joined the Becton staff this past September and is currently teaching Special Education Math. The Special Education instructor studied at the University of Texas and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Kean University.

Mr. Symms previously taught in Newark, Plainfield, and Passaic. Before he got his teaching degree, he was on the corporate path, but due to the market crash in 2008, he changed his career path.

Since he had to choose a new career, he chose the field of math and has enjoyed it ever since. Mr. Symms believes he made a good choice by switching careers, and he is much happier being an instructor.

As for working at Becton, he said, “It’s an enjoyable environment and very friendly.” He even likes the school more than his previous schools because it is smaller and reminds him of how a true high school functions. He likes that Becton has less students than Passaic because the hallways are less hectic.

Mr. Symms’ goal is to help adolescents understand math well and in an easy way and to teach students to apply math in the real world. He wants to be able to help his students as much as possible.

When asked who his role models were, his response was his former teachers, primarily because he is a teacher now. He has learned to appreciate them more than before and realizes that their job is not easy.

As for hobbies, the Special Education instructor likes to play golf, tennis, and basketball. Mr. Symms is also fond of traveling and has visited California, London, and Scotland.

Furthermore, he stated that when he was younger he collected stamps. Although he grew out of that hobby, he enjoys spending time watching soccer, and his favorite player is Messi.

The new teacher listens to a variety of music from pop, rock, and country, and some of his favorite dishes include steak and sushi.